Just before Yom Kippur, when he is optimistic about the decline in corona morbidity, Health Ministry Director General Prof. Nachman Ash takes stock of the strategy taken by the government in the fourth Corona wave, talks about the vaccine for children, the green classroom outline, the cheap home tests - and The future ("estimates there will be no fifth wave").
Ash estimates that Yom Kippur will not cause an increase in morbidity, but he wonders if the trained returnees will be careful to enter isolation and not go to synagogues: "There are always those who are negative at Ben Gurion Airport and later become positive and can infect others, and they must maintain isolation."
"Strategies have a price"
Asked if the fourth wave is in decline, Prof. Ash says he does not know how to answer it: "We have to wait another week to see the effects of the start of school, the holidays, Oman and the Panjoya. I feel we are coming out of this wave, and that makes sense "That we were vaccinated. There is no magic here."
Did the government-led strategy of focusing on the seriously ill and containing the dead work?
"It will be seen when we really get out of the current wave, but I believe it will work. There is a price for every strategy."
Corona test in Ashdod // Photo: Liron Moldovan,
Throughout the fourth wave, the Ministry of Health's recommendations to impose restrictions or advance the implementation of the green label have been rejected or received late.
Prof. Ash says that whether the recommendations are accepted or not, it is a legitimate decision of the cabinet: "This is how it works, there is no absolute truth. I believe that from a value point of view, it would not be right to hold events with large gatherings such as the Panjoya or games. Mass football. "
However, he admitted that “as a doctor, as the director general of the Ministry of Health and as a project manager, it would have been easier for me in terms of my inner truth if steps had been taken that would not have brought us to ten thousand verified.
I would feel much better professionally if the green mark had come into effect earlier. "
No shortcuts
On the congestion at the test stations, Prof. Ash says that he intends to reduce the number of people coming for the tests: "We want to make a separation between the antigen and PCR tests, so that the first will be for the green mark and the second for other needs."
Another line is that a significant reduction in domestic quick test kits is expected.
How will this happen?
There are currently only three companies that market such tests in Israel, and the Ministry of Health wants to expand the offer.
"We have mapped out all the tests that exist in the world and are approved by other authorities, and we will shorten the approval procedures with us. We will rely on a validation done in Europe, hoping that we will bring more tests and reduce their costs in the coming weeks."
A child receives a vaccine for corona // Photo: Yossi Zeliger,
How do the Ministry of Health prepare for the children's vaccine?
"We have not yet prepared for this. I guess we will be able to get vaccinated at the health funds and schools. We have no intention of making shortcuts. I guess it will not be easy to get the children to get vaccinated."
Will the children's vaccine be a game changer?
After him can we really live next to the corona?
"It will be very significant in the ability to reach herd immunity. I very much hope that we will not see more such outbreaks unless there is a variant that 'puts a stripe' on the vaccine."
Vaccination once a year
Prof. Ash believes that the opening of the school year as it was done, with thousands verified on the day leading to about 150,000 students in isolation, was justified: "If the economy is open, the education system should also be open. It was the right decision, which allows us to run the issue of the quick tests we did and all the other processes. "
We published in "Israel Today" claims that the Ministry of Health is dragging its feet and does not really want to pilot the green class or is working to implement it, and that there are those in the ministry who do not believe that a student who has been exposed to a verified patient can be exempted from isolation.
"I envision a future situation where every child will undergo a quick check-up at home before leaving for school, so that if it turns out positive he will stay at home - and so the other students will not go into isolation. This is no small logistical and organizational challenge."
Studies in the time of Corona (archive, those photographed have nothing to do with the news) // Photo: Oren Ben Hakon,
By fire, after the pilot it will be possible to start with the "green class" layout.
According to him, each school will have a "Corona Loyalist" who will perform the quick tests for students, on which the outline will be based.
"There is a discussion about how many tests will need to be performed. I hope we get answers to the questions in the pilot."
Will there be a fourth vaccine?
"I estimate that a fourth vaccine will be needed in the future. I estimate that we will need to be vaccinated once a year, and not more often than that."
Do you think there will be a fifth wave?
If so, what will it look like?
"I do not think there will be a fifth wave, not even in winter, but we may see an increase in morbidity. One of our big challenges with the next vaccine is to identify the decrease in immune benefit even before the increase in morbidity, and vaccinate again as needed. That way we can prevent the fifth wave."
Yom Kippur Eve falls today.
Is there anyone you would like to apologize to, or do you think someone should apologize to you?
"I apologize to everyone who passed away, but I hope we have done our utmost in the existing decisions to reduce that number."